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Fall of Ephyra
The Battle of Ephyra was a major battle that took place in the 10th year of the Locust War, ten years after Emergence Day (10 A.E.). It was a massive battle, with COG armed forces making a desperate stand to hold the city against tens of thousands of "Grubs" and Boomers, at least a thousand Reavers, and numerous amounts of Brumaks, Seeders and Corpsers. COG High Command and COGIntel originally thought that the Locust would have to travel across the surface from an area outside of the Jacinto Plateau in order to invade Ephyra. However, there was an unidentified fissure under the Jacinto Plateau that was only discovered just before the Locust began their assault. The Locust were able to penetrate through the surface and move through the metro stations and enter the city (Traviss p. 67, The Slab). Although the battle ended with the southern part of Ephyra under Locust control, and the northern part under COG control (until 14 A.E.), many Gears and civilians were killed in the battle, and a large amount of COG military hardware including weapons, vehicles, equipment and supplies were either destroyed or fell into Locust hands. Gears of War: The Slab pg 107 Order of Battle Prelude In 9 A.E, the COG was bracing for the impending attack on Ephyra and already set up the logistics for relocating to Jacinto City. The Locust Horde was gearing up for the attack on the COG capital and began building railways and bridges to move troops near the city. Gears of War: Coalition’s End pg 365 The Breach "...KR-Four, Reavers, inbound at...Exchequer...Prince's...at least a thousand." -KR-Four reporting in the first visual of Locust forces moving into Ephyra. The Locust Horde breached Ephyra city in the Locust War's tenth year. They were able to dig their way past the rocks of the Plateau and so were able to overrun the city. Before the battle begun, COG forces assumed that the Locust would have to move across land in order to assault Ephyra, however, since the metro stations running through Ephyra were shut down, the stations were not under surveilliance by COG forces; thus, the Locust forces were able to find a fissure to breach through without being detected. The Locusts' forces rapidly moved through the metro stations and came through the surface to assault the city. At the beginning of the battle, it was estimated that nearly ten thousand grubs were in the city, along with numerous numbers of Reavers and Corpsers. The battle was particularly bloody as the city was both the capital of Tyrus and of the Coalition of Ordered Governments. Battle at Chancery Bridge Eventually, groups of COG forces had fallen back towards Chancery Bridge, as Locust forces were making a massive push in order to take the city. Marcus Fenix received a distress call from his father, and boarded a King Raven with Dominic Santiago to be taken to Haldane Hall. However, Marcus Fenix took the targeting optic with him, and leaving the rest of the targeting device at Chancery Bridge. The Hammer of Dawn targeting device was left inoperable. The fighting there would nearly destroy any chance that the COG had of winning the war until four years later when the Lightmass Bomb was used. Last Stand at East Barricade Academy The Gears stationed at East Barricade Academy led a last stand effort that was nearly successful. However, Marcus Fenix received a distress call from his father; leading him to abandon his post, taking with him the targeting laser, in an attempt to save his father.Gears of War teaser 1:Marcus This action was carried out at the cost of his fellow Gears and left Jacinto open for attack.Gears of War: Aspho Fields page 361 Marcus and Dominic Santiago battled the Locust at the Fenix Estate, but Adam was apparently crushed to death by falling debris when the King Raven coming to pick them up was shot down. Aftermath With the fall of Ephyra City and the House of Sovereigns, the Coalition moved their capital to Jacinto City. It would be another 4 years until the COG could mount up an effective offensive. Marcus Fenix was put on trial for cowardice and would have been executed if not for his two tours of duty in the Pendulum Wars and Dominic Santiago testifying in his favor. Fenix was sentenced to 40 years' imprisonment in the Slab, the COG's most infamous prison, while Santiago's loyalty to the COG was questioned by his superiors for his decision to defend Fenix. It is later revealed that Adam Fenix survived and was abducted by Chairman Richard Prescott and taken to the island of Azura where he eventually developed a weapon to destroy the Locust and the Lambent. References Category:Battles Category:Locust Horde military victories Category:Events